Miniature bargain-house.



No. 650,599. Patented May 29, |900. G. A. CRDWNHART.

MINIATURE BARGAIN HOUSE.

{Appummuvmed Dec. 29, ms.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

Y. LNVENTOR l 4 Z. Z A

,l ATTORNEY No. 650,599. l' Patented may 29, |990. 9. A. cRowNHAnT.

MINIATURE BARGAIN HOUSE.

(Application filed Dec. 29, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

ssEs: l l INVENTOR $.g-0VM- ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.A

GEORGE A. OROIVNHART, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO FRED B. CROWNI'IART, OF OICERO, NEV YORK.

MINIATURE BARGAIN-HOUSE.

SPECIFICATIN forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,599, dated May 29, 1900.

Application filed December Z9, 1899. Serial No. 741,912. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit knownthat I, GEORGE A. CEOWNHART, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Miniature Bargain-Houses, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is designed for use in various mercantile stores, and its purpose is to afford to the customers of the store an opportunity to purchase at a reduced cost one of the articles enumerated in a prepared list exposed to the customer.

The chief object of the invention is to render the selection and purchase of said articles or goods more interesting and amusing; and to that end the invention consists of a case composed of mperforate Walls obscuring the interior of said case, a portion of which walls consists of a door provided with a lock and key, a drum located in said case and secured to a revoluble shaft extending through the case, means applied to the protruding end of said shaft for turning the same, a chart mounted on said drum and containing a list of merchandise, a shield interposed between said drum and door of the case and ,provided with an opening exposing on said chart one of the articles of merchandise at a time, and a corresponding list of merchandise exposed at the exterior of the case, all as hereinafter more fully described, and set forth in the claim.

In the annexed drawings, Figure lis a front view of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on line X X in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line Y Yin Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detached detail view of the devices for checking the momentum of the pivoted chartcarrying drum or cylinder; and Fig. 5 is a front view of the device, showing the exposed ist.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the inclosing case, which I preferably construct of the form of a miniature store or other mercantile house. The walls of this case are imperforate to eectually obscure the interior of said case.

A porn tion of these walls consists of a door D to afford access to the interior of the case when desired. By means of a suitable lock Z, attached either to the door or to the case A, said door is retained in its' closed position. Said lock is provided with a removable suit-- able key for locking and unlocking the door. The reference-letter Z designates the keyhole.

Inside of the case A is a selecting-chart C, mounted on asuitable movable support, preferably of the form of a drum or cylinder B, secured to a horizontal shaft a, mounted in suitable bearings on the sides of the case A and extending through one of said sides and provided on its outer end with a crank b or other suitable means for turning said shaft by hand. A ratchet-wheel d, fastened to said shaft and engaging a dog c, connected to the case, serves to overcome the momentum of the drum B when turned, as aforesaid.

The chart C contains a list of goods offered at a reduced cost and corresponds to a list of goods which is entirely and continually exposed to inspection by the customers of the store. Said exposed list is contained on a chart A, preferably secured to the case A, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. i

In front of the chart C, inside of the case A, is a shield s, which is provided with a slot t of sufficient size to expose the name of one of the articles comprised in the list.

The method of using the described apparatus is as follows, to wit: A customer having found one or more desirable articles in the exposed list, he or she pays to the merchant or person in charge of the apparatus a prescribed amount of money and then turns the crank b. As soon as this has come to rest the merchant or attendant unlocks the door D and opens the case A. The slot t in the shield s then exposes to the investor one of the articles in the list carried on the drum B. The investor then has the choice of either purchasing said article at the reduced price marked on the list or to repeat his investment and risk a more favorable turn of the drum B.

What I claim is The within-described apparatus consisting of a case composed of imperforate walls obscuring the interior of said case, a portion of IOO which Walls consists of n door provided with Y chart one of the articles of merchandise at a Io a, look and key, a drum located in said oase time, and aoorresponding list: of merchandise and secured to a revoiuble Shaft extending exposed at the exterior of `the oase as set through the case, means applied to the proforth.

trudinvend of said shaft for aurninffthe same l o a Cheri? mounted on said drum ard contain (FLORGL A' CROWNHAM D" 5'] ing a, list of merchandise, a shield interposed VitneSSeS:

J. J. LAASS, II. B. SMITH. 

